Telecommunications networks provide for the transmission of information across some distance through terrestrial, wireless, and/or satellite communication networks. Such communications may involve voice, data, or multimedia information, among others. In one example, a communication device, such as a phone or computer, is used to transmit and receive one or more communications to and from another user of the network. Of course, it is possible to use the network to obtain data and multimedia information from machines connected with the network, and to communicate and interact directly with machines to interact software, store information, conduct transactions, etc. Various machines may also be used to communicate over the telecommunications network. Thus, the network provides any number of components interconnected in such a manner as to facilitate the various types of digital interactions provided by the network. Stated differently, telecommunications networks include nodes, such as routers, switches, gateways, and other network components for transporting information.
As telecommunications networks and the interconnection of network nodes become increasingly complex, software-defined networking (SDN) architectures are deployed for simplifying network management and modification. Generally, network nodes provide data-forwarding functionality and management functionality. Stated differently, network nodes may include management functionality for selecting a destination to send network traffic and data-forwarding functionality for forwarding the network traffic to the selected destination. SDN provides more flexibility to networks by decoupling a control plane (resource, routing, and other network management functionality) from a data plane (data-forwarding functionality) enabling network control to become directly programmable and the underlying infrastructure to be abstracted from applications and network services.
Provisioning a network service using SDN or hybrid networking (which may include both SDN and traditional networking) may require the deployment of one or more pieces of customer premises equipment (CPE). Deployment can include both physically connecting the CPE to a telecommunications network over which the network service is provided and configuring the CPE to communicate with both the telecommunications network and any other CPE that may already be installed at the customer site for providing other network services.
Historically, installation of a new CPE requires a technician affiliated with the network service provider to physically deliver and install the CPE. Accordingly, installation of new CPE is inherently limited by the schedules and availability of both customers and service provider technicians. Even after installation, modification of installed CPE and, in particular, modification of functionality related to the interaction between the new CPE and a customer's existing network services and/or existing CPE may further require assistance of a technician. As a result, to the extent all but the most basic changes to a customer network are required, customers face delays to make such changes and incur costs associated with such delays. Such limitations are also costly for network service providers who must hire and retain a geographically dispersed network of technicians to install and maintain CPE.
It is with these observations in mind, among others, that aspects of the present disclosure were conceived.